The Relationship Between Frailty and Care Dependency in Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcers: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

OBJECTIVE: Frailty, resulting from physical and psychological factors, may lead to the development of care dependency in people diagnosed with diabetic foot. This study was conducted to determine frailty and care dependency in patients diagnosed with diabetic foot ulcers and to examine these patients and the effect of these factors using structural equation modeling. METHODS: This study, conducted with a descriptive design using structural equation modeling, included 302 patients with diabetic foot ulcers treated in the wound care outpatient clinic between July 2023 and September 2023. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews method, using a patient identification form, the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI), and the Care Dependency Scale (CDS). RESULTS: According to the TFI, 96.4% of the participants were frail. The mean CDS score of the patients was 78.97 ± 5.77. According to the structural equation model, age, duration of diabetes diagnosis, and physical frailty had significant effects on care dependency, whereas psychological and social frailty had no significant effect. Collectively, these variables accounted for 27% of the variance in care dependency, and the overall model was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly all patients with diabetic foot ulcers were frail. Although the participants had a high level of independence in meeting their care requirements, physical frailty was found to be a significant predictor of care dependency. Nurses' determination of the frailty levels of patients with diabetic foot ulcers in the treatment and care process at an early stage and interventions to reduce care dependency can facilitate the daily life of patients.